“There Are Men Who Do Hard Things”: The Wartime Experiences Of A SOG Recon Team Veteran

Chester Howard was born in 1947 and grew up in West Texas. His father served in the Navy during World War II and later leased service stations. His mother worked for Bell Telephone. His grandfather on his mother’s side was extremely influential in Chester’s life and taught him many lessons. Chester enjoyed hunting and guns, and when he was five years old, he learned the value of hard work and earning money. He wanted a dime, and his father told him if he swept the service station lot, he could earn the money. Chester did, his father paid him a dime, and Chester went to the store, bought radish seeds, went home and planted them because he loved radishes. From that point, he knew he could work for what he wanted. He grew up with an older sister and two younger brothers. In high school, he was a 99 lbs. center on the football team and after graduating in 1965, he attended Texas A&M for two years, wanting to become a veterinarian. In 1967, he enlisted in the Army because he wanted to be in the war and serve in the Special Forces. He completed Basic Training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, which was a shock, but was “not as bad as being in the Corps at A&M.” He loved map reading. Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) was at Camp Crockett at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, and they lived in filthy Quonset huts that were covered in soot from the heater. There was very little hot water available and he bathed only occasionally. There he took the aptitude test for Special Forces and “it was easy.” Airborne school followed and jumping was a thrill. Next he reported to Ft. Bragg for Special Forces training and he volunteered to be the Weapons NCO. He received training on a variety of weapons that were in use around the world and he really enjoyed shooting the BAR. He recalls that map reading hurt most people in the course, but his mantra “if you don’t mind, it don’t matter” kept him going. He later found that map reading was the most useful aspect of training, but in Vietnam, some of the maps they used were incorrect. He was assigned to 3rd Group, but a call to Mrs. Alexander (the legendary SF Assignments clerk) at the Pentagon got his orders changed for Ranger School and Vietnam. Ranger School was tough, especially the starvation, and only 96 out of 300 graduated, but all four Special Forces Soldiers were in the top 10. He flew from Ft. Lewis to Cam Rahn Bay, where it was “hotter than hell,” and the next day he was off to Nha Trang and the 5th Group Recondo Compound. Part of the Recondo School course involved actual combat. He volunteered for a Recon Team and traveled to the A Team Camp at Mai Loc west of Quang Tri. He describes some of his missions as part of a Recon Team, noting that you frequently had to “go with the flow,” having an idea of what you wanted to check and then seeing what you could find. He recalls a mission where they ran out of water, and the extraction pilot, thinking he was helping, brought beer to the extraction. The beer was hot, and the thirsty Recon Team threw it out. Chester figures that they saw the North Vietnamese about 40% of the time, but the enemy knew the Americans were there because of the helicopters. He recalls one mission in January or February 1970, where they were operating on a steep ridgeline, so steep he had to sleep with a tree between his legs to keep from sliding. On one side they could hear dogs tracking them, and on the other side they could hear shots being fired. 20 North Vietnamese walked by within 20 yards of their position. When they were being tracked by dogs, a puff of CS powder here and there from a squirt bottle threw them off the track. He describes the requirement to have nothing marking them as Americans, carrying no dog tags, no letters, no identification whatsoever. He also reflects on the Nung who worked with them and being part of Project Delta. The Nung were “very dedicated to us” and protected the Camp, where their families also lived. He trusted the Nung completely, but felt that the “Vietnamese were just not into it.” He describes the type of gear he carried, noting that ammo and explosives were most important. The Recon Teams carried special munitions like time fuses they could leave behind if they were being chased to slow down the pursuit. He also carried a sawed-off 11” M-79 grenade launcher with primarily CS and HE grenades. He reflects on specific missions working with the Nung and describes the “falling leaf” helicopter insertion technique the South Vietnamese H-34 pilots used. He was able to take R&R twice, once in Hawaii with his wife, which was a “great vacation,” and once to Hong Kong, where he bought some china for his wife. He was able to DEROS (Date of Estimated Return from Overseas) out of the Army and get out when he returned to the States. When he got home, he bought a mobile home, reentered Texas A&M, and became a real estate appraiser and later a property tax consultant. Sometimes he feels that he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress, remarking, “I think about it and I worry about the other people.” He recalls that 5th Group thought all of the “Recon guys were crazy.” He has had prostrate cancer and heart disease from Agent Orange. He attends reunions to “see my buds.” He thought they were doing a good job in Vietnam, “just not hard enough.” He is very proud of his service to the nation and enjoyed his time in the military. At the end of the interview, he talks about his dog Recon.